The Scavenger Hunt
by Tigyr
Summary: Ziva's got clues to...


The Scavenger Hunt

Ziva drives into the Navy Yard and waves at the guard who hands her a note on the way in; Fred just tells her that he was told to hand it to her when she arrived. Nodding, she drives on and exiting the car enters the elevator that will take her to the bullpen. While in the elevator she opens her note.

It's typed on a 3x5 card and reads, I hope you're not angry at my bringing you here, but I wanted to show you a bit of fun: each clue represents a day or a saying that leads to the next…

This first one reflects one of the first times that we ever met…look for a porcuswine for your second clue…

Ziva's gaze darts around the bullpen for the small gia pet that she'd been given shortly after her arrival in the states. It had been a house warming gift from Jenny and she'd brought it to work, asking the others for help in figuring it out. There, in the corner of her desk…her porcupine gia pet with a new note and a donkey's tail.

You might have felt like a donkey's butt, yet you have to pin the tail on it in order to find your next clue…

Ziva's eyes dance as she walks to one of the far walls. They had entertained some children earlier that week; part of McGee's visiting boy scouts and their badges. One of the other agents had brought out the game and the boys had enjoyed spinning each other around and then trying to pin the tail on cardboard cutout. There, in the corner a small envelope holding a small screw and the third note.

You got screwed in with DiNozzo one afternoon. Can you figure which plate this screw goes into? Here's yet another clue…some bears do sit in the woods…

Ziva sits on the corner of her desk, trying to figure out that particular clue when she sees the planter in the corner. There are three bears dancing around the base of the planter…bears that are heading into a densely populated wood. Darting over to the planter, she carefully picks it up inserting the small screw into the dish that keeps the water from spilling out onto the floor; and as she does so, a note plops out onto her hand.

There are no goats between us, Ziva David, just a ghost or two…

It's just a few floors to where I await your arrival. There you won't have to worry about dripping it…just the dropping or zipping it…come find your pin in a haystack?...don't be too long though even Dracula can take a bat nap.

Ziva runs to the elevator, certain now that she knows just where he's hiding…but how to find him? After all, there are many needles in that needle stack and she doesn't want to leave him cold.

That's when she realizes what clues he's left her with…ghosts, dropping, zipping, haystack and bat nap…

Ghosts…Dropping…she knows that most ghosts would live in the morgue and the elevator drops from the bullpen to Autopsy… haystack…a small bale of hay is sitting next to the bottom drawer and bat nap…opening the drawer, she sees a small stuffed toy bat, holding her next clue…an arrow pointing or zipping to Ducky's office.

She opens the door and finds him stretched out on Ducky's couch. His eyes are closed and she softly steps closer.

Green eyes open as she studies him, and he smiles a sleepy smile. "Hey, you found me."

"You left me some good clues, but I was afraid that you would be frozen by the time I got down here."

He pulls her into his arms and she lays her head on his chest.

"I thought about it, but I get slightly claustrophobic these days. So I pulled the bat out of the Halloween decorations at the last minute and had him brave the cold for me."

"I liked the hunt. It was fun. I would never have thought that you would remember all that."

"I was just hoping that you knew that I wasn't trying to fool you or anything. I just wanted you to have some fun while looking for me."

"It was fun, trying to figure out all your little clues. How did you manage to hide them without Tony interfering?"

Tim chuckles and shifts her slightly so that they're both lying on the couch.

"I let him help. I just didn't tell him what it was all about."

"And just what was it about, Special Agent McGee?"

Tim looks at her, smiles softly just before claiming her lips with his as he says, "My saying I love you Ziva David."

_A/N: this is the result of too long a time on the road between me and my best friend...lol...she lives a good ten hours drive from me (one way) and while driving I saw a haystack...which reminded me of Ziva and her idioms...the rest is history (her story?) _


End file.
